Humane Arts

A world filled with abstractions works to undermine our sense of self and community. This lectures explores the problem and offers a vague and likely unhelpful suggestion to look for the visceral whenever possible. www.wescecil.com

This lecture explores the necessity of controlling what occupies our attention in a world the tends to undermine any sense of identity.

This lecture explores how the marketing industry exploits our insecurities and essentially makes a bad situation much worse.

The sixth part of the identity series explores how our sense of where we are and when we are has been disrupted. ww.wescecil.com

In an attempt to solve the complexities of the modern world we often look to abstractions to simplify the vast complexity we face. Understandable, but not really that helpful. For more information on the class head to: www.wescecil.com

This lecture explores some of the challenges that are persented when one enters urban spaces and encounters large groups of strangers. www.wescecil.com

The third part of the identity series explores the transition to the modern world which was given form and impetus by the thinkers of the enlightenment.

Part two of my series on identity explores the notion that identity has not really been a problem for almost anyone in the last 200,000 years. It truly is a modern problem. www.wescecil.com for information about the class

First lecture in a new series exploring the structure, meaning, and challenges facing our experience of identity. Presented by Wesley Cecil PhD. www.wescecil.com https://www.instagram.com/humanearts/

The fifth and final section of commentary on the book one of Nietzsche's Thus Spake Zarathustra. By Wesley Cecil PhD.

The fourth part of the commentary on Nietzsche's Thus Spake Zarathustra.

Part three of my commentary on the First Book of Nietzsche's Thus Spake Zarathsutra

Commentary on the next four chapters of Nietzsche's Thus Spake Zarathustra Book One. Includes the chapter on the Pale Criminal which really is quite confusing.

A Rough draft of the commentary that will accompany my translation of Thus Spake Zarathustra Book One. Hope this is helpful and enjoyable.

The final part of the first book of Thus Spake Zarathustra. Commentary to accompany the book will begin posting soon

The fifth installment of the rough draft of my translation of Thus Spake Zarathustra. One section to go, then I'll start a chapter by chapter commentary.

The fourth installment of the audio version of my translation of TSZ. This is a rough draft. Will be followed by a chapter by chapter commentary.

The next installment of the rough draft of my translation of Thus Spake Zarathustra Book One. I'll record the commentary after completing the entire book and then on to Book Two!

A supplementary lecture for my American Lit class as we can't be together in the classroom. Not sure how coherent this will be for folks not in the class.

This short lecture covers a few aspects of Religion in America and how it has influenced our literature. I also have a brief overview of Indigenous culture on indigenous people's day. I'm not sure this will make that much sense for people not in the class.

The second lecture in my American Literature course explores the three great migrations taking place simultaneously in American history between 1900 and 1950.

This is a cultural background to American Literature that I usually present in class but, alas, we are not allowed in class at the moment so I thought I would make this available for my students and anyone who might be interested.

This lecture explores how we think about he worth of other people and how we perceive our own value. And the link to my friends novel Benghazi is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PlhMb...​

A reflection on the vexed relationship between diversity and identity and how it impacts institutions and concepts like cultural appropriation.

The second part of my translation of Thus Spake Zarathustra. Illustrations by Axel Void.

Commentary on the next four chapters of Nietzsche's Thus Spake Zarathustra Book One. Includes the chapter on the Pale Criminal which really is quite confusing.

An audio book version of my translation of Nietzsche's Thus Spake Zarathustra. I'm translating all four books and working with illustrator Axel Void. This is reading is from the rough draft version of the translation, so the final version will be a little different. I'll try an post a section a week of Book I.

I ponder the common refrain that global warming is going to lead to the end of civilization. The article that prompted these reflections is here: https://www.resilience.org/stories/20...​ but there are many others. The sailing La Vagabonde folks are here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vl35t...​

A short consideration of the definition of Feminism. Too often, so called 'discussions' amount to nothing because of the lack of a shared definition. Let me know if you think there are other important features of feminism as a concept that I forgot.

A selection of works that are accessible, important, and mind expanding. I chose these to help folks who find many of the 'classics' of philosophy unintelligible - think Kant and Heidegger. The works I mention and recommended translator: Ecce Homo by Nietzsche Kaufmann or Hollingsdale Meditation my Marcus Aurelius George Long Lives of Imminent Philosophers by Diogenes Laertius Charles Yonge Readings in Classical Chinese Philosophy Van Norden and Ivanhoe Plato Symposium and Phaedrus Jowett Schopenhauer Essay and Aphorisms Penguin edition Plutarch's Essays Penguin Classics William James Pragmatism and Other Writings Penguin Descartes Discourse on Method and Other Writings Penguin

A brief overview of the definition and complexities of Capitalism. Delivered as an attempt to address the all too common occurrence of arguments that have no grounding in an actual definition of capitalism or the real world complexities of economies as we experience them in our lives.

A few thoughts of difficulty of not knowing during a time of stress and fear and how that creates tension in the social contract.

A quick overview of the Frankfurt school and a response to this odd theory I encountered while researching for the Germans series. There seems to be an idea that this school has had some incredibly powerful influence on contemporary culture. Spoiler alert, no evidence for this. The picture is Herbert Marcuse, likely the best known member of this school in the United States.

This lecture explores the unique history of Germany and how it helped produce three centuries of artistic, intellectual and scientific excellence that continues to influence the world today. Presented by Wesley Cecil PhD.

he original introduction to the Humane Arts series failed to record so, unless you were live at the series, it has been unavailable. So I thought I would do a new introduction for the series as a means of giving a background for the other lectures. Presented by Wesley Cecil, PhD.

A brief consideration of the history and present of women's contributions to Science, Philosophy and the intellectual world in general. Presented by Wesley Cecil PhD. The image is mathematician Emmy Noether

A couple of more fallacies and a possible analogy for our current interesting situation

Interesting developments as our society moves through these uncharted waters. The next couple of weeks will be quite telling about the evolution of our response to a pandemic and an economic collapse.

A couple of more fallacies and a possible analogy for our current interesting situation.

Interesting developments as our society moves through these uncharted waters. The next couple of weeks will be quite telling about the evolution of our response to a pandemic and an economic collapse.

This lecture explores the common fallacy "Texas Sharpshooter" and our almost irresistible desire to select for data that supports our idea.

A few more logical fallacies to ponder as thinking about our world has grown so much more challenging. This conversation introduces the idea of the fallacy of the Average or Middle Ground, Appeal to Ignorance and Appeal to Fear.

A quick reflection on the difficulties we face when we try to think when feeling fear and faced with unknowns.

A brief exploration of the logical fallacy False Dichotomy. When we break things into two we more or less stop ourselves from thinking. The world is subtle, odd, and multivariant and rarely reduces a simple interaction or choice between two things.

The Link to the North Indian Classical Music Show: https://crosscut.com/podcast/crosscut... An attempt to explain the different histories of these two ideas which are often used as synonyms.

A brief consideration of the question of our social contract in a time of national and international stress brought on by the Coronavirus. Some things to ponder and look forward as together we set off into uncharted lands. Presented by Wesley Cecil PhD

This lecture explores the common fallacy "Texas Sharpshooter" and our almost irresistible desire to select for data that supports our idea.

A few more logical fallacies to ponder as thinking about our world has grown so much more challenging. This conversation introduces the idea of the fallacy of the Average or Middle Ground, Appeal to Ignorance and Appeal to Fear.

A quick reflection on the difficulties we face when we try to think when feeling fear and faced with unknowns.

A brief exploration of the logical fallacy False Dichotomy. When we break things into two we more or less stop ourselves from thinking. The world is subtle, odd, and multivariant and rarely reduces a simple interaction or choice between two things.

The Link to the North Indian Classical Music Show: https://crosscut.com/podcast/crosscut... An attempt to explain the different histories of these two ideas which are often used as synonyms.